Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Special Thanks: goes out to PrettyInPink for your review! Your kind words really did make my week, thank you!

Author's Note: In this chapter, we return to Temari's point of view. I've answered a few questions and presented a few more, and I really hope that you all enjoy this chapter. Thanks again to all those who have taken the time to read and give Renewed a chance. See you all next chapter, and I hope you all like this one!

*~Chapter III~*

~Enemies~

Thursday, April 11, 1912 - 11:04 A.M.

"This is the last stop before we officially head to America. Are you excited?" Tenten leaned over the rail, her wide grin making her eyes sparkle with excitement. It was, basically, a repeat of what she'd done in Southampton, and then Cherbourg.

Temari really didn't know what was so exciting about the crowd below, but she came with Tenten anyway. Once they were far out in the Atlantic and well on their way to America, she would relax. But for now, she couldn't afford to let herself do so. It was too dangerous. "I suppose. With all these stops right now, it feels like the trip is taking forever. But once we're out in open ocean, they'll speed up and it will feel much faster, I guess." I hope.

"I've heard that Titanic is supposed to be the fastest ship in the world. They're hoping to set a new record on this trip, and I think they can do it." Tenten laughed and waved as two redheaded young men on the dock spotted them and whistled, waving their arms in wide arcs to get attention. "I'm glad we're stopping in Ireland before going on. It wouldn't feel right, I don't think, skipping a stop at the place where this ship was built."

Pushing a loose strand of blonde hair away from her mouth, Temari offered a half-hearted wave to the boys below before scanning the other faces in the crowd. She felt so exposed, standing there, but she didn't know what else to do. Above all, she wanted to act normal, so no one would be suspicious. She wanted to blend in, not stand out. Everything depended on it, and if she were to fail, she wouldn't be the only one suffering the consequences. At least Gaara was already in America...

It would have been so much easier to blend in if she were in third class. Kankuro was trying to keep her safe and comfortable, bless his heart, but Temari felt so exposed in second class. At least she wasn't in first - that would make it obvious she didn't belong. Just please don't take long loading passengers here. I want to get out in the middle of the Atlantic, where no one can touch me, and no one knows me.

"You know a lot about the Titanic," Temari said, trying to make conversation as she shook off her morbid thoughts.

Tenten shrugged, crossing her arms on the rail and leaning against it as she casually scanned the crowd far below. "I started reading up on it when Neji got me the ticket," she admitted. "I'd heard the name before, of course, but I didn't know that much about it." She laughed wryly, shaking her head with obvious amusement. "And now I know more about it than I wish I did. But one thing I am glad to know is that it's safe, and that's good enough for me. I can't wait to get to America and tell Neji all about it. He'll be sorry he missed out."

Running the pad of her right index finger along the rail, Temari cut Tenten a glance out of the corner of her eye. "What's he like, your Neji?" she asked. She told herself that she was just making conversation, that she wasn't jealous of the other woman for having something that she knew nothing about but wanted so badly nonetheless.

As soon as the question left Temari's mouth, Tenten's entire expression softened. Instead of a wide grin of excitement, a soft smile of contentment, love and happiness gently curled her lips, transforming her entire face. "He's gentle, and kind, and thoughtful. But he's also fiercely loyal and protective, and he's everything I've ever wanted but thought I would never get." She sighed, fingering the slightly worn sleeve of her dress as she turned her gaze up toward the sky. "Neji is the nephew of a very prominent businessman in England. But when he met me and announced his intention to marry me, his uncle disowned him. He wanted to take me with him when he went to America, but we couldn't afford to get married yet. So I stayed in England, working as a seamstress, and he went on ahead to get a job and save some money on his end. That was a year ago. And now, here I am!" She laughed, her usual cheerful self once more.

"That's an amazing story," Temari breathed in awe. "I don't think many men would choose a woman over their comfort and money." She had to fight to keep the wistfulness from her tone.

"I know," Tenten said. "When Neji told me what had happened, I made a vow that day to never take him or his love for me for granted. Thinking of all he's given up, just to be with me..." She shook her head. "No, I'll never take him for granted." She blinked, seeming to come out of some memory that had taken her to a faraway place, and then pointed down towards the water. "Look! The boats are rowing across to load passengers."

Temari silently scolded herself for her lapse in attention and turned to look in the direction of Tenten's pointing finger. Sure enough, three boats were making their way from the dock to the Titanic, their passengers looking straight up at the ship with faces full of obvious awe, even from this distance. Temari chuckled under her breath, wondering if she'd looked that way the first time she'd seen the ship. No matter now anxious she was, she had to admit that the first time she'd seen the Titanic, she had been amazed. It was the most massive thing she'd ever seen in her whole life, and she had a feeling she'd never see anything this size ever again.

Trying to act casual, Temari carefully scanned each face in the boats coming across. Since they were all looking up, staring at the ship, it was easy to do. She let out her breath, feeling herself relax minutely. There was no one familiar, and most - if not all - looked like third class passengers, and the person she was looking for would never travel third class. She was safe!

As soon as she got back to her room, she would write Kankuro another letter. Granted, he wouldn't get it until long after she reached America, but she'd write to him anyway. After all, he was the only one who knew the situation, so by default, he was the only one to whom she could tell her success.

"I'm hungry," Tenten suddenly said, very decidedly. "Now that most of the excitement is over, do you want to go get something to eat? We can come back out later, as the ship is departing. It's getting rather cool out here, and I'd like a chance to warm up, I think."

Now that Temari was assured of her safety, she realized that she really was hungry. She'd been too nervous to eat much at breakfast. "That sounds good."

Arm-in-arm, the two women took off for the second-class dining hall, each lost in her own thoughts of happiness.

*~Thursday, April 11, 1912 - 1:42 P.M~*

Temari let out her breath in relief as her last glimpse of Ireland faded into the distance. Now all she could see in every direction was water, endless sparkling blue ocean stretching all the way to the horizon and beyond, and it made her smile contentedly. In less than a week, she'd be in America! While that wouldn't solve all her problems, it would at least help her on her way toward a new start. That in itself was enough of a relief to make her almost giddy.

"The water is so blue," Tenten sighed. "So beautiful."

"Hmm," Temari hummed in agreement. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up slightly, letting the wind from the ship's movement blow across her face and tug at her hair. There was a wild freedom in that air, so palpable she could taste it. Oh, how badly she desired that freedom, and she was so close to attaining it! She swallowed back another giddy laugh. For her entire life she'd been so serious, having to be the person that her younger brothers could depend on as a steady, calming influence in their rocky lives. They would both be shocked at her good humor now, though she had a feeling they'd understand.

"You know, Temari, this is the first time I've seen you smile. I mean genuinely smile."

She opened her eyes at Tenten's comment, surprised at the frankness of the other woman's words. "Really?" she asked cautiously. Had she given more of herself away than she'd intended?

"Mm-hmm." Tenten nodded solemnly, no hint of a smile on her face now. "I know we haven't known each other for very long at all, but I want you to know that I already count you as a friend. So if there's ever anything bothering you that you want to talk about, I'm here to listen and help if I can."

Temari swallowed back her immediate instinct to be suspicious. Very few people she'd ever known were honest in their attentions, and even fewer would help without asking for something in return. But only honesty shone in Tenten's sincere, wide brown eyes, and Temari knew that she could trust the other woman unquestioningly.

But still... She couldn't take the chance. Enough people were already in danger, and she couldn't add one more to that list. "Thank you, Tenten," she said sincerely. "I appreciate the offer. But I'm fine, really." She hesitated a moment, then offered a shy smile. "I count you as a friend, too, and if you ever have something you need to talk about, I promise I'll listen."

The two of them settled into companionable silence again, enjoying the air and freedom as they admired the water and sky. There was hardly a cloud to be found in the heavens, making it a clear albeit cool day. Even though Temari's cheeks were growing a little numb from the cold, she didn't want to go back inside. She wanted to enjoy her newfound sense of freedom, enjoy being outside again after keeping herself locked away for safety.

Eventually the cold got to be a little too much, though. Tenten mentioned that she was going back inside, and Temari threw one last look toward the horizon - where sparkling blue water met shining blue sky - and then followed her back in to where it was warm.

Once inside, she turned to the left, letting Tenten go her own way as Temari worked her way towards the library. It had been a long time since she'd just sat down with a good book to read, and she thought she'd do that today. There was little else to do, after all, and what better way to escape than to visit another world through a book?

The hum of soft conversation met her ears as she came around the corner and approached the door into the lending library. Already half-lost in in the excitement of finding a book, Temari quickened her steps as she got closer to the doors.

"...Slightly shorter than me, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Her name's Temari Sabaku."

She froze, so suddenly yanked out of her dream world by that voice that it was physically jarring.

That had been her description. She had even been described by name. Her nightmare had followed her out onto the Atlantic!

Shaking herself out of her panic, Temari slid a few steps forward and peeked into the library. It took no effort at all to spot the man: after all, she must have seen him a thousand times in real life, and just as many (if not more) in her nightmares. She knew beneath that well-cut black jacket he carried a shining silver gun with For the Betterment of Mankind carved into either side of the barrel and detailed with blood red paint. Above the raven color of his coat, his slick hair looked even whiter, a facade of innocence that hid the truth of his heart, which pulsed black and red with evil and an insatiable lust for blood and death.

Hidan. Temari had no idea how, when, or where he'd gotten on board, but she should have known. Her freedom would never come, not that easily. She was frightened of Hidan's master, but even her almost crippling fear of him did not come close to the blinding terror she felt every time she encountered Hidan.

Before he could turn around and see her, Temari fled. Her feet kept time with her pounding heart as she blindly raced through the halls, her hysterical mind flipping through possible (and even impossible) scenarios with each step. She was on a ship, and even one the size of the Titanic couldn't hide her forever. They would still be on the water five or six days before they reached New York, and she was restricted to the second class sections of the ship. Maybe third class, if she was careful and stealthy. She could go outside and throw herself off the railing and hope death would come quickly, but in reality she just couldn't bring herself to do that to her brothers. Not after all they had done, and were doing, to protect her.

She could also hide in her room for the rest of the trip. But logic dictated that that wouldn't work, either, because she had to eat at some point. And if Hidan were to follow her and corner her when she was alone in her room... She shuddered at the thought.

Her only hope was that Hidan was there to take her back to England. He would be less likely to hurt her that way, but she couldn't be one hundred percent sure about that. Hidan served several purposes in his master's life, and dealing death was definitely one of the most prominent and oft used.

Was she going to die before she reached the safety and freedom of America and her youngest brother's protection? The thought was terrifying in and of itself, and she refused to let herself entertain it any longer than a moment. If she did, the acid bile churning in her stomach would undoubtedly find its release, and that was additional attention she did not need.

As Temari turned another corner, she realized she was close to her and Tenten's room. At least for now she could take shelter there, and it would give her some time to think and plan. Her surroundings blurred, and she realized with surprise that she was on the edge of tears. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried, not even when-

Wham! The sudden, unexpected impact knocked her back several steps, and she almost landed on her rear. For a moment she thought that Hidan had beat her into the hall, but when she peeked up from beneath her bangs, she instead saw a tall man dressed handsomely, with pale skin, dark eyes, and equally black hair.

"Oh, I'm - I'm so sorry!" She gasped out the apology, knowing she needed to do so before she escaped. The man opened his mouth to say something, but she bobbed a quick curtsy and darted around him before he could give voice to whatever he was going to say. She dug in her pocket as she rounded the next corner, praying all the while that the gentleman wouldn't follow her (his manner of dress, in the short glimpse she'd seen, made her sure he was first class and thus deserved the description), and with shaking hands she unlocked the door and slipped inside safely and unobserved.

Finally letting loose the sob she'd been holding back, Temari locked the door again behind her and slid down it until she was seated on the floor. Covering her face with her still trembling hands, she gave in to the terror that had been hounding her steps all the way from the library - and, even before that, from Southampton.

The freedom she'd felt before was just a cruel sampling of the forbidden real thing she would never have. She was trapped like a cornered animal, and there was nothing she could do to free herself.

One way or another, she was going to die before all this was over. The only question now was if she would find release in death, or if it would be a living one.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: And so, the plot thickens! I'm so excited about this story, and I'm so thankful to all of you who have taken the time to read and give this fic a chance. I'm planning for there to be somewhere between 15-20 chapters in all, so I'm hoping to keep on a somewhat quick updating schedule. Keep your fingers crossed! In the meantime, I look forward to continuing to tell Temari's story (and, of course, Itachi's), and I'll see you all next chapter!